Railroad-tie and fastener.



2 SHEETS-SHEET l. AQ

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

.RN m N.

' H. L. LEA.

RAILROAD UE 'AND FASTENER. APPLICATION fILED FEB. I3, l9l 8.

H. L. LEA. RAILROAD TIE AND FASTENE'R.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.I3IS1I8.

M EI

fIfFFICE.

HUGH I. LEA, 0F CHATTANOOG-A, TENNESSEE.

RAILROAD-TIE AND FASTENER.

Application led February 13, 1918.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Beit known that I, HUGH L. LEA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, `have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Ties and Fasteners; and I dohereby declare the following yto be a full, clear, and `exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in railroad tiesy and fasteners and has for one of its objects the provision of a tie provided withenlarged recessed. ends in which are removably secured railsupporting cushioning blocks.

A furtherobject of this invention is to provide a tie having enlarged recessed ends in whichrecesses are fitted rail supporting cushioning blocks anda locking means pivotedto the enlargedV ends for retaining the -blocks in their respective recesses.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a tie which will be simple, practical and comparatively inexpensive in construction and one that canbe manufactured and sold at a low cost.

With these and other objects in view, the inventionconsists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and setforth in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan viewof my improvedv tie, and fastener asv made in accordance with this invention.

Fig. `2 isa vertical longitudinal sectional View. taken onthe line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview taken centrally through the bodyof the tie.

Fig. 4 is an endA elevationillustrating the rail inactive position upon the tie.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of. thetie.

Fig. 6 is afragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the manner in which the rail` is secured upon the *cushioningblock and tie.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the U- shaped lockingl member. p

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation partly in section of a slightly modified form of the fastening means.

I iikenumeralsof reference designate cor- Specication of Letters Patent.

PatentedNov. 12, 1918.

seria1No.216,s71. i

responding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates the tie in its entirety and it is constructed of steel, concrete or other suitable material. The tie comprises a channeled body 6 having enlarged end portions 7. The side of the body 6tapers outwardly at its point of juncture with the enlarged portions so that the portions 7 will be engaged upon the ground to support the body above the same, as illustrated in Fig. 2. rlhe enlarged ends 7 have formed in each a recess 8 which recesses open out through the free end yof each portion 7. The bottom wall of each recessis provided with a pair of intersecting diagonally extending draining grooves, theinner end of each groove terminating into anfopening 10, whichopening extends through the bottom wall ofthe portions 7 to permit the moisture or water accumulating in the recesses to loe-freely drained therefrom.

A wooden cushioningblock 11 is removably tted in each recess and its upper side is flush with the upper side of the end portions 7. l

A plate 12 is secured transversely across the upper side of each endportion 7 at the inner end thereof and partially overlies each recess so as to engage the inner end of the block 1l to retain the same against vertical movement in its recess. The plates ll2 are secured thereto by suitable fastening means such as bolts, rivets or the like designated 14 in the drawings. The blocks 11 are flush with the ends of the portions 7 and these blocks are retained in their respective recesses by substantially U-shaped locking members 15. The U-,shaped locking members l5 have their arm portions suitably securedin the outer side of each-side `wall of theI recess 8 upon suitable bolts 16. The bolts 16 yextend-,through the sidewalls of the recess from the inner side thereof and have their heads countersunk in said walls and the outer ends extend through the openings 17 formed in the arms of the locking members.` 15. The locking members are held against accidental displacement from their respective bolts 16 by suitable nuts 18 and it will be readily vapparent that by virtue of countersinking the heads of the bolts 16 on the inner sides of the side walls of the recesses 8 that the .block is notinanyway obstructed during the fitting of the same in the recess or removing it therefrom.

The upper surtace of each side wall of the recess has formed therein a rail receiving recess 18 which rail receiving recesses are located intermediate the ends of said walls so as to permit the rails when supported upon the cushioning blocks 11 to have a free cushioning movement when rolling stock is passing thereover. The outer wall of each recess i8 is extended upwardly to provide rail engaging members 19. The rail engaging; members have their outer sides tapering downwardly as at 2O and terminate at a point adjacent the outer end of each wall as at 21.

The web of the locking member 15 has its upper edge bent angularly as at 22 to provide a 'stop which stop is adapted to engage the upper side of the side walls of the recess when the member 15 is moved into locking position. lVhen the member 15 is to be moved to unlocked position it may be readily swung upwardly over the inclined surfaces 2() of the rail flange engaging members 19 and thus permit the blocks 11 to be easily removed from their respective recesses. It will be understood that by virtue of the tread engaging members 19 the rails will be held against spreading when fastened to the ties.

To hold the locking member against upward swinging movement or in unlocked position, the web thereof is provided adjacent each end with an opening 23 which openings are adapted to aline with the screw threaded openings 24 formed in the ends of the side walls of the recess 8, and these openings 23 and 24 respectively are adapted to receive suitable locking bolts 25 therein so as to retain the member 15 in block cngaging position.

The rails are designated A and are adapted to be positioned upon the blocks 1]. and have interposed between one side of their web portions and the inner side of the flange engaging members 19 a suitable fish bar 26 so t-hat the space between the web and this member may be compensated for.

A pair of rail liange engaging members 27 have substantially rectangular bodies one end of which is offset upwardly and forwardly to provide engaging portions 28. The members 27 are provided with elongated longitudinally extending slots 29 through which is extended a vertical bolt shank 30. The bolt shank 30 is adapted to be embedded in the upper side of each 'side wall of the recess and on the inner side of the rail A so as to position the portions 28 upon the upper side of the base flange of this rail and cooperate with the flanges 19 and bar 26 for retaining the rails A rigidly upon the cushioning blocks 11.

It will be apparent that by virtue of the slot 29 in each flange engaging member 2T that various sized rails may be readily compensated for.

It is to be understood that if it is desired suitable bolts 31 may be extended transverselyT through the bar and the web of the rails so as to retain the bar thereto prior to positioning it upon the blocks 11. The bolts 31 are held against withdrawal from the blocks7 bar and web of the rail by suitable nuts 32.

In use, the tie is adapted to be arranged on any suitable roadbed and the blocks 11 positioned in their respective recesses. The locking member is then swung downwardly into block engaging position or until the portion 22 of the locking member engages the upper side of the block and upper side of the side walls of the recesses. rlhe bolts 25 are then arranged through the openings 23 and into the openings 24 to retain the locking member in locking position. The rails carrying the bars 26 are` then positioned upon the upper side of the blocks in direct alinement with the cut out portions 18. The bar 26 engages the inner side of the rail engaging flanges 19 and then the rail engaging members 27 are secured on the upper side of the side walls of the recesses having their portions 28 in fla-nge engaging position and these members are retained in their position through the medium of the bolt 30. It will be apparent that it is only necessary, when desiring to move the rails or blocks, to release the bolts 3() and 25 and move the flange engaging members 27 and raise the locking members.

Referring to the modification illustrated in Fig. 8, the construction shown in this view i's identical with the preferred form, other than that the members 19 in the preferred form are shown as adjustable in this form. These members in this form are designated 32 and have their under sides ribbed as at 33 and adapted to engage the ribs formed on the upper side of each side wall of the' recess so as to permit this member to be held against longitudinal movement when under pressure. The lower portions of the rail engaging members 32 are provided with longitudinally extending slots 33 through which are adapted to be arranged bolts 34 which are embedded in the upper sides of the side walls of the recesses and permit the members 32 to be adjusted longitudinally to compensate for rails of various sizes. The forward edges of the under side of the members 32 are cut away so as to permit a portion of the members 32 to overlie the flanges and engage the same and hold them against relative lateral movement with relation to each other.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A railroad tie comprising a channeled body having enlarged ends terminating in a plane below the body to form supports, said enlarged ends provided with recesses opening out through the outer ends thereof, and locking members pivotally secured to the ends of the end portions, and cushioning blocks slidably mounted in said recesses and adapted tobe retained therein by the locking members.

2. A railroad tie comprising a channeled body having enlarged ends, each end provided with a recess in its upper side opening out through one end thereof, said recesses provided with draining grooves and openings in the bottom wall thereof, a retaining plate secured to the upper side of each enlarged end and overlying said recess to prevent the blocks from having vertical movement, U-shaped locking members pivotally secured by their arms to the side walls of the recess and overlying the' outer ends thereof to engage the blocks and hold them against movement within their respective recesses.

3. A railroad tie comprising a channeled body, having enlarged recessed ends, cushioning blocks fitted in said recesses, a locking member pivotally secured to each end of the tie and engaging one end of a cushioning block, and means extending through each locking member and embedded in the enlarged end to hold the locking member into active engagement with the cushioning block.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HUGH L. LEA.

Witnesses:

FRANK HENDRIX, G. C. FUJAR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

